First of all, the can looks very menacing, and definitely gives me the impression that after I drink this I will be MAD!! ..and maybe French... Since he has a long straight mustache and goatee. What's with the 8 balls on his hat? I thought jesters had bells or something. Watch out for those French joker pool players. I like the little skulls with the jester frill things on them, but the smaller version on the top of the can really look like skulls with skirts or squids.
It's impossible to find much information about this soda and the company that makes it because neither have a website. The can states the company's reason for the name is because "Joker is loaded with a high potency energy blend to give you a lift when you need it most!" This reminds me of Dave Chapelle's song in Half Baked "Sampson Gets Me Lifted". Also the "high potency energy blend" is in the majority of energy drinks.
Joker Mad Energy is really thick, and leaves a taste residue that lingers for some time. It's like the pasty mouth you get after drinking the 64oz. coke through all 3+ hours of "Lord of the Rings The Return of the King". I think I was more thirsty after drinking it. It tasted pretty good, but is high in sodium, and fairly high in calories. I'd say this drink is more for cola drinkers, people who like Coke and Pepsi. That's not to say it tastes exactly like a cola, but I'd put it more in that genre than calling it a citrus beverage, for instance.
As for energy, a healthy serving of the usual energizers makes this a fairly energizing drink. I was plenty awake and alert to write some code during and after consuming the "Mad Energy". It didn't really make me mad, but jumping around a little wouldn't have been completely out of the question.
The 16oz. can, as usual, a pretty good price for a slightly above average drink.
Joker Mad Energy gave me the shakes like the first time I drank Monster. I think it took a little while to kick in because by the time it did I had already forgotten that I drank the soda. (I suffer from short term memory loss) So I was a bit confused when I felt jittery.
Now for the bad news. Mad energy tasted like syrup. Only syrup. The carbonation was gone after the second sip, so it wasn't even like carbonated syrup. I made my stomach hurt a bit too. It wasn't like a stomachache, but like when you know something is going on in there that you don't want to add anything to.
Mad Energy? Definetely yes, but only if you can tolerate that the 'joke' is the taste.